This invention relates generally to a water sports device having an airfoil on which the user rides as he or she is towed by a tow device such as a boat.
Water sports devices such as water skis, para-sails, kneeboards, jet skis, etc., enjoy continued popularity with water sports enthusiasts. Devices such as motorboats and jet skis carry their own propulsion means, while products such as water skis, knee boards, para-sails, etc., rely on a boat or some other towing device during use. These towed devices are typically of relatively simple design and allow the skier or rider to enjoy freedom in moving about the water while being towed. In the instance of a para-sail, the rider is actually pulled at a speed sufficient to give the para-sail enough lift to raise the rider out of the water.
While the para-sail allows the rider to leave the water and become airborne, maneuverability of the para-sail, once airborne, may not be as rapid or extensive as desired. Further, the para-sail is inherently somewhat cumbersome in its handling and use, due to the size and characteristics of the sail itself and its accompanying lines, ropes, and/or cords.
Accordingly, it will be desirable to have a relatively simple device which would allow the rider to become airborne and to enjoy a more rapid response to maneuvering inputs by the rider.
Water sports devices have been patented on which a rider is carried and which is towed by a towing device such as a motorboat. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,249, issued to Palmore, discloses a hydrofoil apparatus for being drawn through the surface of the water and which includes a seat and handlebars for the rider. U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,518, issued to Kuehn, discloses a water vehicle having hydrofoils and a portion for supporting a rider, together with a steering system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,625, issued to Schlueter, discloses a winged surfboard having a wing and stabilizers.
Italian Patent Document Nos. 592,466 and 618,588 disclose hydro-wing devices having winged portions which are pulled through the water. U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,031, issued to Cahail discloses a hydrofoil board having a seat portion connected to inclined foils which glide through the water.